Queen of Love

Chapter 29

Theywerenowat the part of their relationship where they barely exchanged words when they saw each other after a long physical absence. Two weeks is a long time. That’s what Aya thought now that she finally admitted she was falling in love with the woman who looked like she wanted to slap her when she showed up at the door late one Tuesday night. Although Aya had a work meeting early the next morning, she pulled Genevieve into her apartment and had her undressed within five minutes. I didn’t think I’d see her until tomorrow. Yet Genevieve wasn’t the type to go a whole night without her girlfriend if they were in the same city. What was dropping by at thirty ’til midnight when Aya was about to go to sleep?

Some things were more important. Like making heavy, raucous love in the bedroom.

Aya didn’t want that $50,000. It hadn’t been the point when she demanded it in exchange for keeping Genevieve’s naked body off the internet. I sent it back as soon as it went through. Her new bank had been confused about it, but well, they did whatever the high-rolling client wanted. Because Aya hadn’t been afraid to drop Genevieve’s name when applying for an account that wouldn’t flag deposits below $75,000.

No, what Aya wanted was to inject her girlfriend with a thrill she had probably never experienced before. “Erotic extortion” was what it was called, and it had the desired effect. A candid video chat the night following Nick Cheng’s decision to buy the Chiyoda penthouse had revealed Aya was thinking about financially dominating Genevieve for a while. “To be honest,” she had said, “I didn’t think you’d take me seriously, but I had high hopes you’d get off on it.”

Genevieve had been flustered but also admitted she thought of it as a test of their relationship in the spur of the moment. If Aya gave back the money or donated it to charity, Genevieve knew it was all part of an act. If she didn’t… well, she had her real answer about where this relationship was going.

Why would I give this up? Genevieve was relentless that first night back together. When she wasn’t smothering Aya with her body or poisoning her with famished kisses, she was pulling open the nightstand and slapping the strap-on on the bed. At first, Aya thought it was getting used on her. I wouldn’t mind, but… Apparently, they were on the same wavelength. Genevieve wanted to be on the bottom, and she wouldn’t leave that bed until she couldn’t walk right.

She was candid about other things when they both woke up early so Aya could get ready for her meeting and Genevieve could prepare for her own work in town that day.

“I managed to secure a business visa this time,” she said, declining anything but coffee from her girlfriend’s kitchen, “but I don’t know how much longer this will go on. The Japanese government is cracking down on people coming and going, even for business. Even for those of us who own property. I’ve never had such difficulties before.

Aya liked to drink her coffee black that early in the morning. “Pretty sure they don’t care what citizens do right now. Are you saying I need to do the bulk of the traveling right now?”

“No, but I need to stay in town for a while. Unless I want problems when I come back.”

“Good thing you’re moving into your new place tomorrow, huh?”

“You’ll be there to help me christen the walk-in closet, right?”

“Only if you give me fifty grand first.”

Genevieve picked up a paper napkin left on the table and tossed it at Aya. “We’ll be talking about that at dinner tonight, by the way. That was hot, but it also gave me a heart attack.”

“Mission accomplished?”

“I’m serious. But… God, you’re hot in your work clothes.”

“I’m hot in all clothes, if you are to be believed.” Aya rounded the table and offered her girlfriend a kiss on the cheek. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

“Mmhmm.” Genevieve rubbed the sleep out of her eye. She was dressed in nothing but a loose T-shirt and a summery skirt. While to everyone else in Tokyo she was as fashionable as ever, Aya had a hunch her girlfriend was going back to her hotel and taking a nap before her final meeting with the manager of her new high-rise in Shibuya. Wish I could be there to help her move in. She didn’t know what she could do to help a woman who had hired an interior decorator to take care of everything by the end of the day. Translate, maybe? Maybe I wanna feel strong and useful. Aya could show up in her work suit and delegate, or flannel and jeans if an extra-strong pair of arms were necessary.

The moment Aya turned around to check the contents of her briefcase, Genevieve smacked her on the ass.

“What the…?”

If Aya thought she knew what smug was before? The true definition was now plastered on Genevieve’s face. “That’s what you get.”

”Is that what you’ll say later when I spank you on your new island counter?”

“You’ve already fingered me on it, so why not?”

Aya was all smiles as she went to her early morning work meeting. She was the only one showing up in Shibuya on Tuesday with a skip in her step and dirty thoughts in her mind.

“This is where the new gable will go,” the contractor said in slow and enunciated Japanese, something Genevieve could barely understand with a tight mask still over her mouth. “From here. To here. We put lights.”

The man was patient. Probably because Genevieve was paying him good money to bring her vision to life in the middle of this half-derelict building she had purchased. Yet he didn’t speak English, nor was Aya – or the tutor, for that matter – there to help interpret. Genevieve only had her phone and her own keen ears at the ready. All that studying and those Japanese dramas of my childhood… don’t fail me now.

“Koko?” She pointed to the far end where she stood. “Or koko?”

“Ah, asoko….”

At least she knew “here, there, and over there.” God, it was mind numbing.